Phonograph record cleaner



Sept. 1, 1942. J, HESS 2,294,660

PHONOGRAPH RECORD CLEANER Filed Feb. 4, 1942 Patented Sept. 1, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHONOGRAPH RECORD CLEANER John Hess,Yonkers, N. Y. Application February 4, 1942, Serial No. 429,563

18 Claims.

advance of the needle of the tone or pick-up arm, the brush being madeof soft hair backed by a wadding of lambs wool so as to dislodge andhold dust or the like, resulting in better tonal qualities of therecord, less record wear, less needle wear, and enabling the records tobe well preserved with a, minimum effort on the part of the owner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a record cleaner of theabove type in which the .brush is so constructed that the brush, per se,

as a unit may be readily removed and replaced by a new brush withoutdismantling the cleaner from the tone arm.

A further object is to provide a record cleaner adapted to be attachedto the tone or pickup arm by means of a spring clip so shaped that itmay be readily fitted to a rounded or rectangularly shaped tone orpick-up arm.

A still further object is to provide novel means for automaticallyadjusting the vertical position of the brush with respect to the tone orpick-up arm of the record player in accordance with'the number ofsuperimposed records on the turntable of the record player whilepermitting the brush to be yieldably depressed against the uppermostrecord being played.

Other minor objects 01' the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawingwhich illustrates one practical embodiment thereof, to enable othersfamiliar with the art to adopt and use the same;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the needle of the tone.or pick-up arm engaging the uppermost record on the turntable.

Fig. 4 is 'an enlarged side' elevationof the record cleaning attachment,detached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the brush carrying rod of theattachment, detached.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the replaceable brush unit of the recordcleaner, detached.

As shown in Fig. 1, the phonograph or record player 'P is provided withthe usual turntable P, and with a tone or pick-up arm T carry ing aremovable needle T in the usual manner, the arm T being verticallypivotable, as at T2, upon a horizontal swivel S in the usualmanner,whereby the tone arm may be lifted vertically and may be swunghorizontally with respect to the records R on turntable P, whichturntable is provided with a record centering post'C in the usual mannerupon which a plurality of records R may be superimposed or removed withrespect to turntable P. The phonograph or record player is also providedwith automatic record changing devices indicated generally by thereference numerals A and A, the operation of which forms no part of mypresent invention, the function of which being to place in succession,from a suitable source contained in the phonograph casing, records Rupon the turntable P, so that a series of records may beplayed insuccession without manual manipulation.

My novel record cleaner preferably comprises a spring clip having a baseI, an upper leg Ia, and a lower le lb, said legsbeing preferably spacedto conform with the average width or thickness of the tone or pick-uparm T. Preferably the upper leg Ia is provided with an upright arcuatebulge Ic so that the spring clip may be applied to either a rounded orasubstantially rectangular shaped tone or pick-up arm T, the leg Iaengaging the upper face or surface of the said arm, and the leg Ibengaging the lower face of the arm T.

At the base I of the clip is a vertically disposed substantiallyhalf-round bore Id registering with similarly shaped openings in thelegs Ia-Ib, said bore being preferably formed between the base I and apreformed plate 2 having its ends flanged and secured to base I in anydesired manner, such as by brazing or by extraneous fastenings. Bore Idis adapted to receive a vertically slidable rod 3' (Fig. 5) ofcorresponding substantially half-round shape, the

function of the half-round shape of the rod and bore being to preventrotation of the rod-in the bore lb while permitting axial or verticalmovement thereof.

On the upper end of the rod id above the leg la is a head 3a, and a coilspring 4 is disposed around the upper portion of rod 3 having its upperend secured to head 3a and its lower end secured to the upper leg Ia ofthe spring clip so as to exert a yieldable downward pull upon the rod 3for the purpose of maintaining the brush, hereinafter described, carriedat the lower end of the rod in yieldable engagement with the uppermostrecord R in turntable P which is being played.

The lower end of rod 3 carries a disk-like head 31) having opposedparallel side edges 3c-3d, disk 31) being adapted to enter guide slots5a formed at opposite sides of the top of the brush unit, said top ofthe brush unit preferably comprising a plate 5 having its side edgesupturned and inturned as indicated in Fig. 6, the flattened edges 30-311of the disk 31) slidably engaging the upturned portions of the slots 5ato prevent the brush unit from rotating with respect to rod 3.

On the underside of brush plate 5 under one edge thereof is a narrowbrush 6 preferably formed of soft hair adapted to initially engage therecord R as the same rotates upon turntable P and to clean the recordgrooves; and in rear of brush 6 is a wadding 1 formed of lambs wool orthe like to pick up and hold the dust which is swept from the grooves bybrush 6 as the record revolves on the turntable. The cleaning of thegrooves of the record in advance of the needle T results in better tonalqualities of the record, and also results in less record wear, lessneedle wear, and maintains the records well-kept with a minimum ofeffort on the part of the owner. When the brush is mounted upon thedisk-like base 31) of rod 3, the slots 5a may be mashed slightly to keepthe disk 31) from sliding longitudinally of the slots 5a. However, inevent the lambs wool, wad or pad 1 becomes ineffective due toaccumulation of dirt, itmay be desirable to replace the brush 56l. Thismay be conveniently done by again raising the mashed portions of slots5a, and removing the brush unit 56-1 and inserting a refill orreplacement unit conforming in all respects to that shown in Fig. 6,which replacement may be readily made while the attachment is applied tothe tone arm T.

In order to maintain the brush unit 5-6-1 at substantially the desiredposition with respect to the point of needle T of tone or pick-up arm Tin accordance with the number of records superimposed upon the turntableP, and to prevent the rod 3 from unduly bobbing up and down in bore Idof the spring clip during manipulation of arm T and during changing ofrecords, a novel catch is provided on the base I of the spring clip, asshown more particularly in Fig. 4. Said catch preferably comprises alever 8 pivoted as at 81) upon lugs extending from the outer face ofbase I, the lower end of lever 8 extending below leg lb and beingflanged as at 8a to slidably engage the fiat portion of rod 3. A coiledspring 8c is interposed between the lever B and the base I to maintainthe lower end 8a of lever B in yieldable engagement with the face of rod3. As the number of records are built up upon the turntable P by actionof the automatic record changer, it is obvious that the brush 5-6lshould be normally positioned at an elevation nearer to the lower leg lbof the spring clip, and therefore a series of notches 3e is provided inthe lower portion of rod 3 immediately above base 3?) so that the springclip may automatically engage, in succession, the notches of the seriesas the records build up upon the turntable, thus maintaining the brush56'! when arm T is raised at a position somewhat lower than the actualworking level of the brush with relation to the number of records on theturntable, without however interfering with the action of spring 4 inpressing the brush down upon the uppermost record on the turntable. Theaction of the lever 8 is entirely automatic, and the lever need not bemanually manipulated until the pile of records on the turntable has beenremoved and a single record is positioned thereon.

My novel record cleaner is simple in construction and efficient inoperation, and obviously is not limited to the record players orphonographs which change records automatically, since the same may withequal efficiency be applied to the tone arm or record players which arenot automatic as far as the record changing feature is concerned. Also,I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawing, forobviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim: 11

1. A record cleaner, adapted to be mounted on the needled tone orpick-up arm of a record player having a turntable supporting the recordto be played, comprising a clip adapted to be mounted on said arm, saidclip having a vertically disposed bore; a rod slidably mounted in saidbore; means for yieldably depressing said rod in the bore; a brushmounted at the lower end of the rod and adapted to contact the record onthe turntable in advance of the needle; a spring pressed lever on theclip having a tooth slidably engaging the rod below the clip; and saidrod having a series of spaced notches at its lower end adapted to beengaged by the tooth, for limiting the downward movement of the rodsubstantially according to the height of the arm above the record on theturntable, while permitting the rod to yield upwardly in maintaining thebrush depressed upon the record,

2. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 1, said yieldabledepressing means comprising a coiled spring around the rod above theclip having its'ends secured to the upper end of the rod and to the cliprespectively.

3. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 1, said rod carrying a headat its lower end provided with opposed parallel sides; and said brushcomprising a replaceable unit consisting of a top plate havingdeformable slots at its upper edges slidably receiving the head; and awadding of dust removing material on the underside of the plate.

4. A record cleaner, adapted to be mounted on the needled tone orpick-up arm of a record player having a turntable supporting the recordbeing played, comprising a substantially U -shaped clip adapted toyieldably embrace the said arm, said clip having a vertically disposedbore extending therethrough and disposed adjacent the base of the clipand being aligned with correspondingly shaped holes in the legs of theclip, the walls of the bore being formed between the base of the clipand a preformed plate secured to the base at the inner side thereof andextending between said legs; a rod slidably mounted in said bore; meansfor yieldablydepressing said rod in the bore; a brush mounted at thelower end of the rod and adapted to contact the record on the turntablein advance of the needle; and means on the clip and rod for limiting thedownward movement of the rod substantially according to the height ofthe arm above the record on the turntable, while permitting the rod toyield upwardly in maintaining the brush depressed upon the record.

5. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 4, one leg of said cliphaving an arcuate bulge therein whereby the clip will embrace arms ofrounded or squared cross-section.

6. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 4, said yieldabledepressing means comprising a coiled spring around the rod above theclip having its ends secured to the upper end of the rod and to the cliprespectively;

'7. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim e, said rod carrying ahead at its lower end provided with opposed parallel sides; and saidbrush comprising a replaceable unit consisting of a top plate havingdeformable slots at its upper edges slidably receiving the head, a stripof relatively soft bristles mounted on the underside of the plate alongone edge thereof; and a wadding of dust holding material on theunderside of the plate in rear of the strip of bristles.

8. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 4, said limiting meanscomprising a spring pressed lever on the base of the clip having a toothslidably engaging the rod below the clip; and said rod having a seriesof spaced notches at its lower end adapted to be engaged by the tooth.

9. A record cleaner adapted to be mounted on the pivoted and swiveledneedled tone or pick-up arm of a record player having a turntablesupporting the record being played, said record player having means forbuilding up in succession a stack on the turntable of the records whichhave been played thereby changing the angularity of the pick-up arm withrespect to the upper record on the stack; said cleaner comprising a clipadapted to be mounted on said arm, said clip having a verticallydisposed bore; a rod slidably mounted in said bore; means for yieldablydepressing said rod in the bore; a brush mounted at the lower end of therod and adapted to contact the uppermost record on the stack in advanceof the needle; and means on the clip and rod for limiting the downwardmovement of the rod substantially according to the height of the stackof records on the turntable while permitting the yieldable means tomaintain the brush depressed upon the uppermost record in the stack.

10. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 9, said yieldabledepressing means comprising a coiled spring around the rod above theclip having its ends secured to the upper end of the rod and to the cliprespectively,

11. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 9, said rod carrying ahead at its lower end provided with opposed parallel sides; and saidbrush comprising a replaceable unit consisting of a top plate havingdeformable slots at its upper edges slidably receiving the head, a stripof relatively soft hair mounted on the underside of the plate along oneedge thereof, and a wadding of lambs wool on the underside of the platein rear of the hair strip.

12. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 9, said limiting meanscomprising a spring pressed lever on the clip having a tooth slidablyengaging the rod below the clip; and said rod having a series of spacednotches at its lower end adapted to be engaged in succession by thetooth as the stack of records on the turntable increases in height.

13. A record cleaner, adapted to be mounted on the pivoted and swiveledneedled tone or pick-up arm of a record player having a turntablesupporting the record being played, said record player having means forbuilding up in succession a stack on the turntable of the records whichhave been played thereby changing the angularity of the arm with respectto the upper record on the stack; said cleaner comprising asubstantially U- shaped clip adapted to yieldably embrace the said arm,said clip having a vertically disposed noncircular bore extendingtherethrough; a correspondingly shaped rod slidably mounted in saidbore; means for yieldably depressing said rod in the bore; a brushmounted at the lower end of the rod and adapted to contact the uppermostrecord on the stack in advance of the needle; and means on the clip androd for limiting the downward movement of the rod substantiallyaccording to the height of the stack of records on the turntable whilepermitting the yieldable means to maintain the brush depressed upon theuppermost record in the stack.

14. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 13, one leg of said cliphaving an arcuate bulge therein whereby the clip will fit arms ofrounded or squared cross-section.

15. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 13, said bore beingdisposed adjacent the base of the clip and being aligned withcorrespondingly shaped holes in the legs of the clip, the walls of thebore being formed between the base of the clip and a preformed platesecured to the base at the inner side thereof and extending between saidlegs of the clip.

16. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 13, said yieldabledepressing means comprising a coiled spring around the rod above theclip having its ends secured to the upper end of the rod and to the cliprespectively.

17. In a record cleaner as set forth in claim 13, said rod'carrying ahead at its lower end provided with opposed parallel sides; and saidbrush comprising a replaceable unit consisting of a top plate havingdeformable slots at its upper edges slidably receiving the head; a stripof relatively soft hair mounted on the underside of the plate along oneedge thereof, and a wadding of lambs wool on the underside of the platein rear of the hair strip.

18. In a. record cleaner as set forth in claim 13, said limiting meanscomprising a spring pressed lever on the base of the clip having a toothslidably engaging the rod below the clip; and said rod having a seriesof spaced notches at its lower end adapted to be engaged in successionby the tooth as the stack of records on the turntable increases inheight.

JOHN HESS.

